1King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and languages that live in all the earth: May peace be multiplied to you.
2I thought it good to tell you about the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
3How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his rule lasts from generation to generation.
4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and doing well in my palace.
5I saw a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that came to me on my bed and the visions in my head troubled me.
6So I made a decree to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, so that they might tell me what the dream meant.
7Then the magicians came in, and the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. I told them the dream, but they did not tell me what it meant.
8But at last Daniel came in before me. His name is Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him. I told the dream to him, saying,
9"Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and that no secret is too hard for you. Tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and what they mean."
10"These were the visions in my head while I lay on my bed. I looked, and there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was great."
11"The tree grew and became strong. Its top reached to heaven, and it could be seen to the end of all the earth."
12"Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit was plentiful, and there was food on it for all. The animals of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every living thing was fed by it."
13"In the visions in my head on my bed I looked, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven."
14"He called out loudly and said this: 'Cut down the tree and chop off its branches. Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get away from under it, and the birds out of its branches."
15"'But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with iron and bronze, among the soft grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his share be with the animals in the grass of the earth."
16"'Let his heart be changed from a man's heart, and let the heart of an animal be given to him. And let seven times pass over him."
17"'This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and this demand is by the word of the holy ones. It is so that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he wants, and sets over it the lowest of men.'"
18"This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means. None of the wise men of my kingdom are able to tell me what it means, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stunned for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or what it means trouble you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its meaning for your enemies."
20"The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose top reached to heaven and could be seen by all the earth,"
21"whose leaves were beautiful and whose fruit was plentiful, on which there was food for all, under which the animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the sky had their homes -"
22"it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your rule reaches to the end of the earth."
23"And the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut the tree down and destroy it. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with iron and bronze, among the soft grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his share be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him.'"
24"This is what it means, O king. This is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:"
25"You will be driven away from people, and you will live with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass like oxen, and you will be wet with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he wants."
26"And since they commanded to leave the stump of the tree's roots, your kingdom will be sure to you once you have known that Heaven rules."
27"So, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you. Break away from your sins by doing righteousness, and from your wrongdoing by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps then your peace may be made longer."
28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
29At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon.
30The king spoke and said, "Is this not great Babylon, which I have built as a royal house by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty?"
31While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven, saying, "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you."
32"You will be driven away from people, and you will live with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he wants."
33That very hour the thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from people and ate grass like oxen. His body was wet with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.
34At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding came back to me. I blessed the Most High. I praised and honoured him who lives for ever, whose rule is an everlasting rule, and whose kingdom lasts from generation to generation.
35All who live on the earth are counted as nothing. He does as he wills with the army of heaven and with those who live on the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him, "What are you doing?"
36At that same time my reason came back to me. For the glory of my kingdom, my honour and my splendour came back to me. My counsellors and my lords came looking for me. I was set firm in my kingdom, and even greater majesty was added to me.
37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and lift high and honour the King of heaven. All his works are truth, and his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to bring low.